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Finding Funny

Posted on June 6, 2016

Ned Kenney, Co-Founder & CEO of Laughable

Whether we’re summoning a cab, lining up a date, or renting out a guest room, technology keeps finding new ways to make our lives easier. But it’s still not very good at helping us laugh, which makes no sense, given that EVERYONE loves to laugh—and laughter is scientifically proven to make us fitter, happier, and more productive.

Worthwhile content is so widely and unpredictably scattered across the web that finding material we love is too often a fruitless and frustrating undertaking. Furthermore, there are thousands of brilliant comedians out there, but most of us have heard of only a handful.

As internet-addicted comedy fanatics, we sensed an opportunity and founded Laughable.

Our core aims are simple:

Empower consumers of comedy to discover content and comedians that most reliably make them laugh

Empower creators of comedy to grow and monetize their fan bases.

Put another way: we make life better both for those who love to laugh — as well as for those who love to make others laugh.

Think of Laughable as a marketplace for comedy — where the funniest, most creative minds in the world can efficiently reach those who want to hear them most. Both supply and demand already exist; they just need some help finding each other. We’re using technology (and lots of caffeine) to do just that.

We’re pleased to announce a big step toward realizing our vision: the launch of the Laughable iOS app. It helps you discover the funniest, most entertaining podcasts from around the world. If you like to laugh, definitely check it out. If unbridled joy just isn’t your thing, go here instead.

Since this is likely your first time reading about Laughable, we wanted to tell you a little more about us — and why we’re so excited about our potential to expand the market for comedy.

Who are we?A small team of New York-based comedy fanatics who are using technology, and what we learned attending Tony Robbins seminars, to transform the comedy world.

Why is the first iteration of our offering focused on podcasts?
Because podcasts kick ass, and comedy is one of podcasting’s biggest genres by volume of both content and listeners. Famous comedians like Chris Hardwick (Nerdist), Marc Maron (WTF), Bill Burr (Monday Morning Podcast), and Bryan Callen (The Fighter and the Kid as well as The Bryan Callen Show) have absolutely massive followings — and rightfully so. Beyond the big dogs, though, there are countless other hilarious series that deserve many more listeners than they have currently.

Access to the most entertainment in human history has created a bottleneck and now I’m bored.

— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) March 6, 2015

The content is already out there; it’s DISCOVERY of the content that could use improvement. That’s where Laughable comes in.

Paralyzed by choice!

What makes Laughable different from other podcasting apps?

We take the work out of finding podcasts you’ll love. Browse a menu of expertly curated episodes from across the comedy podcasting world; all you need to do is press play.

We help you discover content directly through your favorite comedians. We’ve created IMDB-like profiles for over 1,000 top comics. These profiles aggregate relevant podcast episodes and links to an artist’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

Example comedian profile (n.b. 5/7/16: this mockup is now out of date, but we wanted to preserve what things looked like when we launched last June!)

How do we help comedians?

We’ve built Laughable with guidance from hundreds of comedians, podcasters, agents, managers, and club owners. Our company will not succeed unless comedians succeed alongside us.

Over several months of beta testing, Laughable has already helped comedians attract new podcast listeners and followers on social media. As we expand beyond iOS and podcasts, we’re working toward every comedian in the world having their own store within the Laughable marketplace. Out of those stores, they will be able to sell digital content, merchandise, and even tickets to live shows.

By helping our users discover comedians they love, we make them happier and better looking.

If you’re a comedian or podcaster and would like to learn even more about us, please check out this FAQ.

What’s our long-term vision?

Podcasts are just the beginning. Amazon started by selling books and then expanded into other product categories. Netflix started by renting DVDs and then evolved to offer streaming content. Since DVDs are obsolete and none of us knows how to read, we chose podcasts as our starting point. In short order we’ll be expanding into other content areas (e.g. standup comedy) and mediums (e.g. video and virtual reality).

Across digital media, live events, and beyond, we’re dedicated to building a one-stop shop for comedy lovers. If we fail, the name of our company may aptly describe our performance as entrepreneurs. If we succeed, we’ll make the world a brighter place for millions of people. Either way, people will be laughing. Win-win, right?